Religious Biographies

Acclaimed biographer John Loughery tells the story of John Hughes, son of Ireland, friend of William Seward and James Buchanan, founder of St. John's College (now Fordham University), builder of Saint Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue, pioneer of parochial school education, and American diplomat. As archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York in the 1840 and 1850s and the most famous Roman Catholic in America, Hughes defended Catholic institutions in a time of nativist bigotry and church burnings and worked tirelessly to help Irish Catholic immigrants find acceptance.

Millions have read books and listened to sermons by Timothy Keller. But who impacted his own thinking, and what shaped his spiritual growth and ministry priorities? With full access to Keller's personal notes and sermons—as well as exclusive interviews with family members and longtime friends—Collin Hansen takes listeners behind the scenes of one of the 21st century's most influential church leaders.

They served God to the ends of the Earth. In his fifth God’s Generals volume, Roberts Liardon chronicles some of the great evangelists who risked their lives to take the gospel message to strange and unknown cultures around the world. The sacrifice and courage of these spiritual pioneers are sure to stoke the fires of your faith and revive within your heart a spirit of evangelism and compassion for the lost.

Early in her career, Elaine Pagels changed our understanding of the origins of Christianity with her work in The Gnostic Gospels. Now, in the culmination of a decades-long career, she explores the biggest subject of all, Jesus. In Miracles and Wonder she sets out to discover how a poor young Jewish man inspired a religion that shaped the world.

Growing up in a passionately Norwegian American Iowa town, Lori Erickson rolled her eyes at traditions like Nordic Fest and steaming pots of rømmegrøt. But like many Americans, she eventually felt drawn to genealogy, the "quintessential hobby of middle age". Her quest to know more about the Vikings and immigrants who perch in her family tree led her to visit Norse settlements and reenactments, medieval villages and modern museums, her picturesque hometown and her ancestor's farm on the fjords.

Nicky Cruz's heart had turned to stone when he was only three. His mother nicknamed him the son of Satan, and he was severely abused, both physically and mentally. After moving from Puerto Rico to New York, Nicky became the leader of a notorious street gang the Mau Maus. He turned into a violent street criminal before he was eighteen. David Wilkerson, a skinny preacher from Pennsylvania, reached out to him with relentless love. He said, Nicky, Jesus loves you, and this simple message opened the door to a new life for Nicky Cruz.

On a hot July afternoon, Joni Eareckson Tada's life was dramatically altered in a split second. A reckless dive into shallow water took an athletic young woman from health and success to life as a quadriplegic in a wheelchair. In the 45 years since the release of this book - which has more than five million copies in print in over 40 languages - Joni's earnest struggle to find hope has resonated with millions of listeners around the world.

Pastor and author Timothy Keller (1950–2023) built a lasting legacy in Christian ministry, planting Redeemer Presbyterian Church and cofounding the Gospel Coalition. With sharp biblical insight that has shaped countless church leaders, along with counsel on the Christian life that has stirred and strengthened audiences worldwide, Keller's teaching promises to influence generations to come. Synthesizing Keller's work topic by topic, each chapter of this book highlights a key aspect of the Christian life—covering his views on prayer, suffering, friendship, vocation, intimacy with God, and more

When American writer Stephanie Saldana finds herself in an empty house at the beginning of Nablus Road, the dividing line between East and West Jerusalem, she is a new wife trying to navigate a fragile terrain, both within her marriage and throughout the country in which she has chosen to live. Pregnant with her first child, Stephanie struggles to protect her family, their faith, and herself from the cracks of Middle Eastern conflict that threaten to shatter the world around her.

Amazing Grace is a rags-to-riches story that charts the many ways a young man squanders opportunities and experiences misery and poverty, only to unexpectedly rise to a level of respectability and privilege. This dramatic retelling of his life story is a tale of romance, in which young love sparks wild actions, only to be followed by years of seemingly hopeless longing, before eventually being crowned by a long and happy marriage. Lastly, it is a story of grace of a youth who rejects God repeatedly, only to be rescued by divine mercy that reaches deeper than he ever imagined.

Throughout history, women have been crucial to the growth and flourishing of the church. Historian Michael A. G. Haykin highlights the lives of eight of these women who changed the course of history, showing how they lived out their unique callings despite challenges and opposition - inspiring modern men and women to imitate their godly examples today.

Ruth Wariner was the 39th of her father's 42 children. Growing up on a farm in rural Mexico, where authorities turned a blind eye to the practices of her community, Ruth lives in a ramshackle house without indoor plumbing or electricity. At church, preachers teach that God will punish the wicked by destroying the world and that women can ascend to heaven only by entering into polygamous marriages and giving birth to as many children as possible.

The smoke clears. The world watches. A name is announced. A man steps forward and the earth’s gaze falls upon him. We have a Pope! And his name is Leo XIV. But who is this 266th successor to St. Peter? What is the former Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost’s vision for the Church, and what impact will his papacy have on Catholics and on the world? Veteran Catholic journalist and historian Matthew Bunson offers the first authoritative portrait of the new Holy Father.

We know a great deal about Muhammad—or so it seems. Islamic tradition contains an astonishing wealth of information about the founding figure of the Islamic faith, and most historians take for granted that this material is generally reliable. In his latest book, historian and Islamic scholar Robert Spencer shows that there is no agreement in the earliest Islamic sources about the most fundamental details of this towering figure's life. Muhammad takes a detailed look at the Islamic traditions regarding Muhammad and lays bare their contradictions, inconsistencies, and incoherence.

Saint, slave or scholar? Patrick of Ireland is known as all three, but who is he really? Let K. C. Murdarasi bring to light the real life of this father of the Christian faith. Kidnapped from his home and family as a young boy you would think forgiveness would have been far from his mind.Yet with God's grace Patrick returned to the land of his captivity where he preached the good news of Jesus Christ to slaves and kings alike - and left a legacy of faith that would last for centuries.

This is the incredible true story of a Galilean stonemason who changed the course of the world forever. He lived and died over 2,000 years ago, fulfilling expectations that existed long before his birth. His birth had been mystically foretold by astrologers for hundreds of years, yet the rulers of his day dreaded his coming. This humble builder-teacher became a magnet for the poor and down trodden, a symbol of love and mercy, who transformed the lives and restored the health and purpose in all who encountered him.

At one time, Corrie ten Boom would have laughed at the idea that she had a story to tell. For the first 50 years of her life, nothing out of the ordinary ever happened to her. She was a spinster watchmaker living contentedly with her sister and their elderly father in the tiny house over their shop in Haarlem. Their uneventful days, as regulated as their own watches, revolved around their abiding love for one another. But with the Nazi invasion and occupation of Holland, everything changed....

For over 500 years, Martin Luther’s defiant challenge to the Catholic Church has shaped Christianity, theology, and Western society. This book offers a deep and nuanced exploration of his legacy, examining both his triumphs and controversies. From his theological battles and harsh opposition to dissenters to the lasting divisions within Protestantism, we analyze how Luther’s ideas continue to influence modern faith, politics, and education.

David Brainerd (1718-1747) was a missionary to the Native Americans in Delaware, New York, New Jersey, and Eastern Pennsylvania. Edited by the eminent Puritan theologian and Preacher Jonathan Edwards, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd (1749) became a source of inspiration and encouragement to many Christians, including the theologian John Wesley and missionaries such as William Carey and Jim Elliot.

En este clásico de la literatura espiritual, Paramahansa Yogananda narra la inspirativa historia de su vida, que incluye los encuentros que mantuvo con numerosos santos y sabios, los diez años de entrenamiento espiritual que recibió en la ermita de un maestro iluminado, y los más de treinta años en los que vivió en Estados Unidos difundiendo las liberadoras enseñanzas del Kriya Yoga. Esta obra, que es una profunda exposición de la ciencia y la filosofía Yoga, revela la unidad básica existente entre las grandes religiones de Oriente y Occidente.